Gas-fueled dust-incinerating pilot burner



Aug. 4, 1964 R. E. GROHALL GAS-FUELED DUST-INCINERATING PILOT BURNER Filed Nov. 15, 1960 N W W A INVENTOR. RAYMOND E. GROHALL iwem ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,143,164 Patented Aug. 4., 1964 3,143,164 GAS-FUELED DUST-lNCINERATlNG PILOT BURNER Raymond E. Grohall, Milwaukee, Wis, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Penn Controls, Inc., Goshen,

Ind, a corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 69,461 1 Claim. (Cl. 158115) This invention relates to improvements in pilot burners and more particularly to non-clogging incinerator type pilot burners.

Clogging of primary air inlet openings with lint and other air-borne foreign matter is one of the most common causes of pilot burner malfunction. Certain previous attempts at preventing such clogging have resulted in the development of incinerator type burners wherein the air entering the primary air inlet opening must pass sufficiently close to the burner flame to ignite any airborne particles entrained therein. The burners heretofore developed have not been entirely satisfactory because they are a costly departure from conventional burner construction and further are not readily interchangeable with conventional burners.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved non-clogging pilot burner which in all forms thereof has substantially the same external dimensions and is readily interchangeable with similar burners of conventional non-incinerating construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved burner of the class described which utilizes standard component parts of the type used in similar burners of conventional construction, said parts being inexpensively modified if at all and being capable of assembly by inexpensive mass production techniques.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein the figure is a vertical sectional view of a pilot burner assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The drawing shows a pilot burner assembly comprising a mounting plate or bracket 5, a burner body 6, a fuel inlet fitting 7 and a thermocouple 8. The mounting plate or bracket is formed With suitable apertures (not shown) to receive mounting screws and is also formed with an aperture 27 into which is fixed, as by welding, a thermocouple supporting sleeve 30 which is internally threaded at its outer end, as at 28, to receive a nut 29 for securing said couple as shown.

The plate 5 is also formed with an internally threaded aperture 15, and fixed, as by welding, to the plate 5 in coaxial relation to the aperture is the main body portion 31 of the tubular burner body 6. The burner body 6 also comprises a closed ended tubular tip portion 6a which extends at an angle, preferably normal, to the main body portion 31 and is formed with one or more laterally directed flame ports 17 at least one of which is oriented to direct a burning fuel-air mixture toward the tip of the thermocouple 8 as indicated schematically in broken lines. Adjacent the tip 6a the burner body portion 31 is formed with a reduced internal diameter throat portion 18, and extending through a side wall of the body portion 31 is an air inlet opening or passage 20 preferably having the outer end thereof disposed directly below the flame port 17 and the inner end thereof disposed at the end of the throat portion 18 farthest from the tip 6a. Pressed fitted telescopically within the throat portion 18 is a sleeve or tube 19 which extends in spaced coaxial relation within the burner body portion 31 toward the inlet fitting 7 as shown. The fitting 7 is connected, as by a conduit 16, to a suitable source of gaseous fuel under pressure.

In operation of the burner shown in the drawing, gaseous fuel is directed from the orifices 25 and 26 into the open left hand end of the tube 19. in converging streams, inspirating therewith primary air available within the burner body portion 31. As indicated by the arrows, such inspiration of primary air causes replacement air to be drawn into the burner body through the opening 20. Since all of the air entering the passage 20 is subjected to the heat of combustion of the fuelair mixture issuing from the flame port 17, lint and dirt particles entrained in said air is incinerated before said air reaches the passage 2t) and hence there is no tendency for such foreign matter to clog said passage.

The improved burner has substantially the same external dimensions as similar burners of conventional non-incinerating construction. This permits ready replacement of conventional burners with the improved burners in existing installations, thereby protecting such installations against costly burner malfunction. Substantialy the same parts are utilized in forming the improved burner as are utilized in similar burners of conventional construction, except for the addition of the tube w and formation of the opening 20'.

It is apparent that the invention provides a burner of highly efiicient operation not susceptible to costly malfunction and which, because of its fabrication from substantially all standard parts, does not require special and costly tooling. The simplicity of its construction permits inexpensive fabrication by mass production techniques.

Having thus described the invention, it is to be understood that the illustrated form was selected to facilitate the disclosure of the invention rather than to limit the number of forms which it may assume. Various modifications, adaptations and alterations may be applied to the specific form shown to meet the requirements of practice, without in any manner departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, and all of such modifications, adaptations and alterations are contemplated as may come within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as the invention is:

An incinerating type pilot burner comprising a tubular burner body having a fuel inlet end and having its other end closed and provided thereat with a tubular burner tip extending generally normal thereto, said tip being formed with a fiame port directed generally parallel with said burner body and toward said fuel inlet end thereof, said burner body being formed with a reduced internal diameter throat portion adjacent said tip, said burner body also being formed with a primary air inlet passage extending through the wall thereof adjacent said tip and having its flow axis lying generally in the same plane as the flow axis of said flame port such that substantially all primary air entering said passage must pass in incinerating relation with respect to burning fuel at said flame port, said air inlet passage opening internally of said burner body at the end of said throat portion farthest from said tip, a sleeve extending from said reduced diameter throat portion in coaxial spaced relation 5 within said burner body and toward said fuel inlet end thereof substantially beyond said air inlet passage, fuel inlet means at said fuel inlet end of said burner body comprising a fuel inlet fitting for directing fuel into the adjacent end of said sleeve for inspiration therewith of 10 air drawn in through said air inlet passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lucke Aug. 12, Gauger July 26, Kile Sept. 18, Schork et a1 Apr. 1, Hajny Jan. 5, Biggle Oct. 3,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 10, 

